Confessionals
by AliceInRealWorld
Summary: The thread of fate begins to unspool as two unlikely individuals weave through love and life at a different pace, all to intertwine on one fateful day. [AU]
1. Chapter 1

a/n: This was supposed to be a one shot for _'SasuSaku Month 2017-Day 1: First Love'_ before it got so long, I was forced to divide it in to 5 parts.

Then, when I was chopping, I realize I can pattern every part with the other prompts for _SasuSaku Month!_

Therefore, the entire story is for _Day 1: First Love._ Then every part is for a specific day!

Next thing I want to clarify-the setting of this _AU story_ is the _Philippines,_ my country. So, expect some _Filipino_ words and one solid _Filipino_ sentence in every scene.

The words' translations would be given before the chapter starts while the sentences' translations are located at the end.

But don't worry! I made sure to put enough context clues for you guys to understand what's going on. XD

Lastly, this story is edited and polished by _Akyura,_ my nerdy, hopeless romantic, study bug, best friend. :p and he wants to say, _"Hello! I'm Akyura. You can call me Aky or Yura or Akyura. Koffing would be a great mascot for a new espresso depresso in Starbucks called the Koffeeng! Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter!"_

* * *

Vocabulary:  
1\. _Ate-_ literally means _big sister._ Sometimes when we talk to a female stranger or acquaintance who is older than you, we call them _ate_ as a sign of respect.

2\. _Kuya-_ literally means _big brother._ Same case with _Ate,_ but for males.

3\. _Merienda-_ afternoon snacks.

4\. _Hija-_ Spanish word for daughter.

5\. _Barong-_ embroidered formal shirt; the national dress of the Philippines (for males).

6\. _Yaya-_ caregiver; nanny.

7\. _Bunso-_ refers to the youngest child in the family.

* * *

Sakura Haruno took a deep breath.

It had been four and a half years since the last time she had taken a whiff of the crisp and sweet air of her home town. After spending four and a half years inhaling the fumes of city air, her lungs were appalled. Childhood memories softly nudged her mind, pushing the four and a half years' worth of lessons that she learned at med school to an isolation-retention box. It was as if her entire being was telling her to focus on this moment for a while.

She raised her arms to her sides as if she's commanding an invisible pair of wings to unravel.

It was like breathing in the same room with God.

So much so, she almost forgot the reason why it took her four and a half years to come back here, to her beautiful province.

So much so, she almost regretted her choice of going to college. After all, it was a decision that made her mother disown her and left her _best friend and her… lover_ in the dark for four and a half years.

"Ate! Tapos ka na bang mag-emote?" A gruff voice and a rough tap on her shoulder returned Sakura from her deep thoughts. "Your tricycle is here!"

The fresh-grad dropped her arms lazily then reached down for her buffed duffle bag. She turned to the barker who scored her a ride. She handed him a twenty peso bill and playfully teased, "Oh kuya, kahit panira ka ng moment!"

The barker gawked at the paper money, "Are you sure about this? This is too much-!"

"It's fine." She slid inside the sidecar. "Buy yourself some _merienda_." She gave him a small smile.

The barker repaid her with a toothless grin. His cheeks were slightly reddening and his eyes shone with pure delight, "God bless you ate!"

Sakura nodded curtly. She took out another twenty peso bill then handed it to the driver of the trike. "Um, kuya-"

"Well if it isn't the pink-haired _Reyna Elena_!"

The rest of Sakura's words died inside her throat. All at once, her heart picked up its pace, her hands went cold and her thoughts jumbled to a thousand possibilities of who could be the first person to know that she finally came home.

Half afraid and curious, she slowly peeked at the driver's face.

"How are you, _hija_?" The chummy face of _Kuya_ Jose, the tricycle driver that serviced Sakura to school ever since she was nursery, came into view. His once thick, dark mane had gone thin and gray. The youthful face he referred to as his 'secret weapon for the ladies' was now decorated with sun-spots, overlapping wrinkles and laugh marks.

What remained the same was his 'killer' smile. Sakura looked at him with awe and reminisce. "Kuya! You're still driving this century old junk? When are you retiring?!"

The old man cackled with pride, "Until you've become a doctor, of course!" He gave her a knowing look, "we promised, right?"

Sakura's wide, excited eyes wavered slightly as his words reeled in a memory. It came up slowly, emotion first-sadness and passion; then surfaced the image of her mother throwing all her belongings to the street.

A pang pierced her chest as she remembered her mother's vitriolic words, _'sige, lumayas ka! That's what you've always wanted in the first place right? To, 'get out of this dead-end province…' Your dreams are bigger than your ego. Masyado kang mayabang…don't come back until you can feed yourself!'_

Sakura shook the memory away. She reached out and patted Kuya Jose's arm affectionately. "Of course kuya. Don't worry, the next time you drive me home, you'll be calling me Dr. Haruno!"

He started the engine, "That's what I wanted to hear!"

She gave him a determined face.

"Are you ready to go home?"

She sighed out with a nervous laugh. Going _home_ wasn't her primary reason as to why she went back. Her mother did say to never come back until she could feed herself independently. In those four and a half years, her supportive father sent her ample money to get by.

"Kuya… Didn't you know about _Ino and… Sai_?" She asked him cautiously.

Kuya Jose's eyes automatically sparkled with much excitement. His smile widened, cheeks stretching from ear to ear. "And here I thought she forgot to invite you!"

Sakura coughed up a snort. "Hardly."

'Sadly…'

.

.

.

Sasuke Uchiha pulled over his brother's car.

'The traffic would start at 7:00 am.' He thought glumly.

The last time he checked the clock, it was 4:26 am. That was the time he decided to borrow his brother's car and take it out on a three-hour drive.

At the back seat sat a bag where a week's worth of clothes were packed. Hanging on the assist grip was his freshly pressed _barong_. And vibrating in between his get-away-starter-pack (he just realized) was the head maid, _Yaya_ Maine's, cellphone.

'Must've mixed it up when I retrieved my barong.' He reached for the phone with his sweaty hand. 'Calm down Sasuke. You're already halfway there. There's no way they would follow you now…'

Though, even with his self-prep talk, he hesitated on pushing the answer button.

It was now 6:55 am. He had to arrive at his destination by 9.

"H-" He cleared his throat. "Hello?"

His head created a mental picture of a murder of crows circling the car.

" _Bunso._ " Itachi's calm and menacing voice resonated inside Sasuke's ear. "Maaari mo bang sabihin sa akin kung nasaan ka?"

Sasuke looked outside the tinted window, "The highway."

For a moment, he thought the sky was turning gray.

"To hell?"

"To…" He gulped down his saliva with utmost difficulty. Didn't yaya already tell him? Then again, tormenting him was one of his brother's hobbies. "To… Ino's home town."

Itachi sighed at the other side of the line.

He swore he could hear the faint sound of thunder in the distance.

"Look, I just have to see her again. I need it." Sasuke reasoned in desperation. "What father and mother is making me choose between… is something that I had to think about thoroughly-"

"Sasuke." The eldest interrupted. "You just spent four years of your life studying philosophy, stalling the inevitable. I thought we already talked about this."

"Kuya, studying philosophy is my pre-course to help me-"

"How would watching Ino, the woman who rejected you on the day of your junior high graduation-"

The bellows of the rolling thunder grew closer.

"Kuya-"

"-moved residences to the province the next day-"

"K-kuya, stop-"

"-maintained contact for three years, then mysteriously stopped replying-"

"Would you please-"

"-then haunted you again by sending a wedding invitation." Itachi sharply inhaled. "Tell me, little brother, how is seeing her get married help you decide between entering the monastery, mother's _open suggestion_ and joining the army, father's _requisition_?"

His imagination was getting the best of him. In a snap of thunder and lightning, Sasuke silenced himself instead. The composure that he accumulated the night before his great escape was starting to crumble. His older brother's words invited his doubts and confusion to come out of their shadows. They circled his mind in a harrowing dance. His hands' temperature suddenly dropped.

"Kuya." He started again. He pinched the bridge of his nose and leaned his head back on the rest. "Just please let me do this."

There was a tensioned pause between the siblings.

For Sasuke, even if his brother said no, he would still do it. In his life that was mostly based on his parents' choices, he had decided that he would go.

For what reason, he himself didn't know also, other than it being the right thing to do. What all he had was a vague heart seeking for its missing piece. And he knew once he found that shard, it would guide him in making his future.

Sasuke surmised that maybe, just maybe… witnessing such integral event was the only way to acquire that piece for inner peace.

' _Absorb it… Learn from it… Then let go… And begin living anew.'_

"I just need…" Sasuke held his breath to calm his nerves. "Just this once… Let me decide for myself." He begged hopefully. "Please tell mother that I'm sorry and that I'll be back after a week."

For Itachi, even if his brother disobeyed him, he would still welcome him with a sharp tap on his forehead. In his life that was mostly composed of self-sacrifice, he had decided that he would encourage his sibling to-

"Foolish little brother." He sighed in exasperation. "Not one scratch, Sasuke."

He hung up the phone. Suddenly, the sky had cleared, and the murder had disappeared into the horizon.

Sasuke Uchiha dropped his phone out of relief. He stayed idle for a minute, thinking if he's doing the right thing or not. Should he go back? Should he just send Ino a generic wedding gift and follow his mother's _open suggestion_ since-

"Traffic starts at 7:00 am." He muttered stubbornly to himself.

He started the engine and continued driving, revving down the highway of uncertainty.

* * *

Sentence Translations:

1\. _"Ate! Tapos ka na bang mag-emote?"-_ "Hay! Are you done emoting?"

2\. _"Oh kuya, kahit panira ka ng moment!"-_ "Here! Even if you ruined my moment."

3\. _"Sige, lumayas ka!"- "_ Go ahead and run away!" Or "Get Out!"

4\. _"Masyado kang mayabang…"-_ "You're too conceited…"

5\. _"Maaari mo bang sabihin sa akin kung nasaan ka?"-_ "Can you tell me where you are?"

* * *

a/n: There you have it! Part 1! Hope you guys enjoyed it~ Review if you have the time!


	2. Chapter 2

a/n: Thank you, _'fanofthisfiction'_ for reviewing Part 1! *HUGS*

Editor says, _"Hi! It's me again, Aky, Akyura, Yura... no? Okay. Did you know that Pineapples are called Ananas everywhere else in the world except the US, UK, and PH? These 2 seriously need a Pina Colada! Hope you enjoy this chapter!"_

* * *

Vocabulary:

 _1\. Kuya-_ literally means _big brother._ Sometimes when we talk to a male stranger or acquaintance that is older than you, we call them _kuya_ as a sign of respect.

2\. _Yaya_ \- caregiver; nanny.

3\. _Sampaguita-_ national flower of the Philippines

4\. _Ganern-_ jargon for 'Something like that.'

5\. _Charot-_ jargon for 'I'm kidding!'

6\. _Pucha (naman)-_ (bad word) mostly uttered when something came out the way one didn't expect, or as an expression of regret. It could be the closest english translation for "Dammit!"

7\. _Putangina-_ (bad word) "Puta" is the Spanish word for whore, and "ina" is the Tagalog word for mother; maybe used to express extreme anger, frustration, shock, or—surprisingly—joy.

8\. _Gago-_ (bad word) it originally meant to describe someone who stutters, especially when nervous, but later evolved to refer to someone who does foolish acts.

* * *

Sakura Haruno rubbed her sweaty hands on her dress.

After Kuya Jose had dropped her off a couple of blocks away from the chapel, she rushed to the nearest fast food restaurant that caught her eye. She ordered some large fries and a serving of hot fudge sundae. She took her time eating, treating it as a hearty lunch. In fact, she managed to finish her food in half an hour, ignoring the fact that she only had another half to change and primp her face.

'Well, I just came from a 5 hour bus ride with no pee breaks, I deserve this!' She reasoned to herself as she charged to the comfort room. 'Besiiides, I can change outfits as fast as a _Sims_ character.'

And so in 'locks, lights, action.' she had warped into her verdant (* _cough_ *taylorswift* _cough_ *) halter dress (which, to her surprise, was creaseless) and had styled her tresses to a waterfall braid. On putting the final touches to her makeup, she kept it light and simple, not wanting to look like the unrealistic dolls you see on TV.

She faced the mirror, nodding at what she was seeing: a fine young woman with an enthralling lush forest in her eyes, and a flowing pink river for her hair. She was a walking piece of paradise. She did a small turn, the dress swaying gracefully with her.

"Y-you can do this." She directed conviction to her eyes. "J-just act like the Sakura they all know!"

She gave the young woman a weak smile, which the reflection returned (although it seemed to be smiling more, as if it was wishing her luck; but perhaps it was but a trick of light).

She made haste to the chapel, making heads turn along the way, and the sighs of both men and women filled the air, with the wind as their messenger of distraught at the thought of not having the chance to ask this fair maiden's name.

There was only about five minutes left till the wedding bells rang. Sakura was regretting her stalling.

No, the reason wasn't the fact that she had to take fifty heavy steps from the front gates to arrive at the grand doors of her home town's chapel. She can relay herself there even with her killer heels and extra baggage weight.

No, no, it wasn't because she forgot to bring a gift. Her dorm mate made sure she had packed a generic one.

What made her falter was the countless _Sampaguita_ flowers that were scattered on the pavement.

Each footstep ground a handful of silky white petals, releasing its rich fragrance. Each inhale stimulated Sakura's brain, yet again plaguing her gathered courage and taunting her, _'what are you doing here?'_

"Is everybody here?!" A woman's voice, sounding hoarse and tired, bellowed from the entrance of the chapel. Sakura squinted her eyes and recognized the bride's mother, barking orders at the characters for today's holy matrimony.

"The bride is almost here! Where are the… What's this? Butler? Maid? Can someone please phone these people?!"

Sakura snorted. 'Oh that's right… I was part of the entourage.'

She took a step forward. "C'mon. You can do this."

A gust of odorous wind ghosted on her face, caressing her rosy cheeks and stinging her glassy eyes.

 _'Are you sure that you should be here?'_

"I received a fucking invitation. Yes, I should be here." She attempted another step, her knees buckling with difficulty. She bit her lip. The wind suddenly got stronger, casting dizzy spells upon her. She felt her stomach flip, attempting to push the fries and hot fudge sundae up her esophagus.

 _'Can you do it?'_

"You can do this." She tried again. This time, her legs gave up. She maneuvered her fall and landed beside the nearest Sampaguita bush. While doing some breathing exercises, she silently thanked God that everyone was hitching a ride today.

" _Pucha naman_." She roughly bumped her forehead on her knee. She patted her pockets for her emergency mints-for-motion-sickness. But instead of fishing out a can, she scored a velvety, scented envelope.

Sakura blankly stared at the wedding invitation that had been tormenting her for months. She gingerly flipped it open with shaky hands and pulled out two pieces of paper.

The first one states the occasion and was decorated with line drawings of Sampaguita flowers.

Whereas the second was just a piece of yellowing bond paper creased in quads. Sakura returned the former inside the envelope.

"This." She unfolded the latter, pressed Sampaguita flowers fell on her lap. She scrunched her brows as its fermented scent punched her nostrils. "This is the reason why you came back, Sakura. Go ahead. Read it out loud and remind yourself!"

 _Dear Ino, (parang Dear Charo lang ah)_

 _So, graduation is upon us. Of course you're on my priority list of people I'd write to, so that you'll have a cheesy memento to remember me by, ganern._

 _Well, even if the whole class begged for my autograph, ikaw lang naman talaga ang gusto kong sulatan. Charot!_

 _I won't lengthen this letter so you'll be forced to recall these memories *evil laughter* and eventually, me! Charot again. I wish you all the best in this dreadful world, and I hope our paths may one day cross again._

 _This is not bi, it's a good bi. Oh, sorry, I misspelled 'bye.' (I don't want to sully this letter with erasures so I'll just keep it that way.)_

Sakura chuckled bitterly to herself. "See? Remember this, Sakura? Continue reading!"

 _Thank you. Thank you for drawing those wings on my back that day, telling me to chase my dreams, even if it meant aeronautically crashing into the moon (the journey will be bloody arduous, I know. If only we could donate hypothetical blood...) but nothing's gonna stop me from reaching that dream! (I bet Sai can draw even better wings though, teehee~)_

 _Oh and please be kind to mother even though you witnessed the grand spectacle of her making my wardrobe fly into the vastness of the provincial sky. I hope you don't forget me when you've fulfilled your dreams, kase kundi man ako maging doktor, aabutin ko na lang kamay mo, tutal pangarap din naman kita._

 _Tangina. Ang cheesy ko nanaman. Haha!_

 _Anyway labyu lats, ingat ka palagi!_

 _I'll see you… When college allows it._

 _Love always,_

 _Haruno Sakura_

"Oh wait, there's more!" She unconsciously wiped the guilty tears that had fallen from her eyes, " _P.S. I've almost reached my dreams and I want you to give this letter back to me by showing up, got it?! -Ino_ "

"You're not here to face your mother, Sakura. You will only stay for a day. You came for _them._ You came to see them get married and you-"

"YOU. WILL. BE. HAPPY. ABOUT. IT." Sakura simultaneously punched her chest for every word. "For four and a half years! Ever since high school ended, you neither attempted to contact nor show your pathetic self to her… to him and they still want you to be a part of their wedding!"

' _Are you even welcome here?'_

She gasped for air, "Come on! Stand up!"

 _'Didn't you sever your ties with them after you left?'_

For some courage… "You can do this!"

 _'Then why are you here?'_

Some… help.

 _'Are you going to confess?'_

"SHUT UP!" She struck her chest again.

"You can do this…" She craned her neck up to prevent more tears from falling. "You have to do this… As her best friend…"

But all that Sakura Haruno could taste was the sickly smell of the Sampaguita.

.

.

.

Sasuke Uchiha unplugged Yaya Maine's cell phone from the charger booth.

'The wedding starts at 10 am.' He thought anxiously.

The last time he checked the clock, it was 8:53. That was the time Yaya Maine's cell phone decided to run out of battery, leaving Sasuke mapless, clueless and disconnected from the world.

So instead of driving around aimlessly, wasting fuel and time, he made the wise move of stopping by the nearest convenience store that caught his eye. After a minute of contemplating how a seven-eleven charger dispenser worked and a couple of sacrificial five peso coins (it took him several tries to make it work; pardon him, he's just your stereotypical rich-kid who knows nothing about commoner rituals), he left (trusting its safety to the nice lady at the cashier booth _*wink wink*_ ) to change into his designer barong and wax back his hair.

He had the feeling that by the time Yaya Maine's cell phone was brought back to life, he would scamper his late ass to the chapel.

Sasuke held down the cell phone's power button and waited in uneasiness (thank God he wasn't a profuse sweater).

'I wonder how far I still am…' He pondered. 'Maybe I should've asked the cashier for the time-'

Yaya Maine's cell phone vibrated, startling him. He checked the caller's name, which was, on his tenterhooks, _Fox Boy._

He gave it a glare before answering, "Naruto. How did you get my family's head maid's number?"

"Sumagot din ang _gago_! I seriously thought that you crashed or something!" The Fox Boy's obnoxious voice boomed through Sasuke's ears. "Your brother just told me about your masochistic pilgrimage! Where are you now? Are you there yet?"

Sasuke lightly massaged his throbbing forehead. "No. Phone died. I had no _Waze_ to guide me. What do you want Naruto?"

"I-is that so…" Naruto laughed nervously. "S-so where are y-you?"

Sasuke made a confused sound at his best friend's stuttering. Did he get infected by Hinata? "I just told you, the phone died-look, state your business. I'm already running a little late."

"S-so you're using Yaya Maine's c-cell phone right?"

"Hn?"

"When I went to your house this morning, you know, because you seemed to ignore our offer of an alternative trip to console you-I mean, you did say approximately two years ago that when Ino gets married you'll follow your _mom_ and even though I'm pretty sure that was just a joke-"

"Naruto." Sasuke snapped at him as he ran a clammy hand through his hair. "Just. Get to the point."

"YayaMainetoldmethatherphone'sclockisthirtyminuteslate. Solikeyoushouldhurrynowbecause-"

Naruto's rambles drowned in Sasuke's pocket as the latter reflexively rushed to the counter, ignoring the growing line to ask, "Ma'am, may I ask what time is it?"

The nice lady who guarded Yaya Maine's cell phone blushed deeply. With a giggle, she replied, "Why it's now 9:26, hand-"

But Sasuke Uchiha didn't get to hear the rest of her words as he scampered his way to Ino's wedding.

* * *

Sentence Translations:

1\. _"ikaw lang naman talaga ang gusto kong sulatan. Charot!"_ \- "You're the only one that I plan on giving a letter. Just kidding!"

2\. _"kase kundi man ako maging doktor, aabutin ko na lang kamay mo, tutal pangarap din naman kita."-_ Because if ever I didn't become a doctor, I'll just reach for your hand, after all, you are one of my dreams.

3\. _"ingat ka palagi!"-_ "Take care always!"

4\. _"Sumagot din ang gago!"-_ "The bastard finally answered (the phone)!"

* * *

a/n: Thank you for reading Part 2! Please review if you can!


	3. Chapter 3

a/n: 100 reads in a matter of three days can make an author smile like an idiot T_T Thanks for reading guys!

Nerd the editor says, _"Hello again, Akyura here! Always remember to bring a Psyduck when parking, so you can make use of the Disabled Slot! Hope you enjoy this chapter!"_

* * *

Vocabulary:

1\. _Abay-_ a general term for the wedding entourage.

2\. _Diyos ko-_ "My God!" or "Oh my God!"

3\. _Leche-_ (bad word) derived from the Spanish term "mal leche" which means bad milk. It's a colloquial term for sperm but is often referred to someone or something annoying.

4\. _Panunumpa-_ literally means a person's solemn declaration that he or she will do or not do something. (It's also a popular wedding song in the Philippines)

* * *

It took a while, but Sakura Haruno managed to pick herself up and quietly walk inside from the side doors.

The first thing that greeted her was the smell of the flowers mixed with the intoxicating aroma of the holy smoke.

With this, her ankles once again wobbled. She cussed under her breath.

"You're already inside, Sakura. You already skipped the grand entrance-the priest is already reading the gospel-you're not bailing this. You're not. Okay?" That, she said as she hid behind the statue of Saint Raphael, the Archangel with her armpits sweating like crazy.

'Okay… Where do latecomers go?' She anxiously pondered. She swallowed her nervousness then surveyed the ancient chapel.

It didn't surprise her that it hadn't changed much. There were still four columns and twenty rows of baroque pews lined orderly. The statues of saints that Sakura's mother perpetually prayed to were all in their right places. Fresh vases of daffodils, cosmos and baby's breath were rested by their feet. Faded paintings about various interpretations of heaven adorned the ceilings.

The only artistic liberties that Ino had added were the red carpet and wooden arches those were gracing the aisle. Its pillars were wrapped in a braid of ivory silks, while its voussoirs were clad with clematis vines, creeping its way to the keystone where a pair of golden bells was hanging by a thread.

It wasn't crowded; Ino's guests only filled half of the seats, leaving the entrance unguarded for late attendees like her.

"Well? Did any of those two missing _abays_ answer their phones?" The familiar frantic voice of Ino's mother startled Sakura. Without thinking, she scurried her way inside the nearest possible hiding place she had found.

"N-no Madam, neither of them were answering…" A nervous voice answered.

There was an irked sighed, " _Diyos ko_! We're already at the homily! You have to find some replacements. Now!"

"Y-yes Madam! R-right away Madam!"

When the sound of their footsteps faded, Sakura sighed in relief.

" _Lecheng-_ ang duwag mo talaga Sakura..!" A breathless self-pity laugh escaped her lips. She dropped her duffle bag before, once again, letting the nervous breakdown take over her.

She slumped down to what she thought was a twelve inch, built-in pew then began her breathing exercise.

The air was hot and heavy and she noticed that her hiding place was slightly claustrophobic. In fact, it had the size of a communal toilet with a single pew and a chessboard-sized window screen plastered on the left wall. The only light source was coming from the opening on the door with a size of a crosswise pad paper.

"Oh shit." She muttered. "I hope a priest won't show up on the other side."

.

.

.

By the time Sasuke Uchiha had reached his destination, the angelic voices of the choir were already singing _Lamb of God._

Around this time, he was tempted to leave his brother's car at a don't-block-the-driveway lot. A murder of crows had once again circled the car from above.

'Isn't there any valet parking in the province?!' He thought irritatedly.

The last time he checked his thirty minute late clock, it was 8:55. That was the time provincial traffic decided to hinder all his plans, leaving Sasuke praying to God, offering all his glory to at least allow him to arrive at the wedding, even if there's no more ceremony to watch or to attend; Sasuke just _needed_ to see Ino.

After a few slow driving rounds, he finally found it, enveloped in (holy) sunlight, "A parking space!" He gleefully exclaimed. God finally heard my prayer! (He guessed it's because he was already in a holy compound.) He killed the entire OCD reflex that he had in his body and sloppily parked his brother's car. The crows had also disappeared.

By the time Sasuke had gotten out, the harmonious voices of the choir were already singing the last verses of _Panunumpa,_ a default communion song during weddings.

He wasted no time. He ran as fast as he couldto the grand doors of the chapel. His heart was racing. His blood was boiling. His legs were feeling the burn from the sudden work out (he did drive for at least 3 and a half hours). His adrenaline rush overwhelmed the hormones responsible for nervousness and chickening out. Only this train of thought was playing in his mind: 'I'm here. I'm going to see her again. Just a glimpse God, please!'

By the time Sasuke had stepped inside, coming from the side doors near the confessionals, the song was already done.

The guests were standing giddily, giving off an air of anticipation.

The couple was facing each other, holding hands.

The priest was happily declaring, "I pronounce you husband and wife, you may now kiss the bride!"

Sasuke Uchiha watched with wide, joyous yet sorrowful eyes.

Sakura Haruno quietly thanked the man who blocked the small window of her hiding place.

.

.

.

Sasuke allowed his body to slump into the farthest pew, still absorbing the ceremonious contract seal that had just occurred into his system.

With the body that saved her eyes from a terrifying cardio-onslaught unblocking the view, Sakura caught a glimpse of the said onslaught. She felt every muscle in her body stiffen, as if entering rigor mortis.

' _I've almost reached my dreams and I want you to give this letter back to me by showing up, got it?!'_

Her lungs suddenly forgot how to exhale.

"God. I shouldn't have come here…"

His brother's voice echoed in his head.

' _How would watching Ino…'_

With her aquamarine eyes gleaming with inexplicable joy…

" _-the woman who rejected you on the day of your junior high graduation-"_

With her platinum blonde tresses flowing beyond the Juliet Cap veil…

" _-moved residences to the province the next day-"_

With the sunlight gently caressing her face…

" _-maintained contact for three years, then mysteriously stopped replying-"_

Her beauty was amplified even further in her wedding gown.

" _-then haunted you again by sending a wedding invitation."_

Standing beside her was a man with a paper white complexion.

'So this is Sai.' Sasuke thought. 'The emotionally repressed introvert that Ino talked about in her last letter…'

Who would have thought emotions could ever show on his face? His cheeks were red as a blooming rose. Pools of onyx glistened with tears, reflecting a kaleidoscope of his wife's pastel blue eyes.

' _...help you decide between entering the monastery, mother's open suggestion…'_

They stood before the ever immaculate altar. Sasuke's dull gaze fell on Jesus' thinning face, his eyes full of sorrowful agony.

' _...and joining the army, father's requisition?'_

"Ito na ba yun?" He asked, seemingly confused and lost. "Ito na ba ang sagot sa lahat ng tinatanong ko sayo?"

Sasuke wasn't sure if God was calling him into the battlefield or to the abbey. He wasn't sure about anything at all.

"No, Sasuke, you know the answer, it's right there, at the altar."

His heart and mind were a mess. One kept whipping hurricanes, while the other tore at its rival with lightning. This chaos blurred the lines between sanity and fatuity.

Yes, he was sure he was being called to the latter.

He traipsed towards the nearest confessional, ready to face the life on abbey road.

* * *

Sentence Translations:

1\. _"…ang duwag mo talaga Sakura..!"-_ "You're such a coward, Sakura…"

2\. _"Ito na ba yun?"-_ "Is this it?"

3\. _"Ito na ba ang sagot sa lahat ng tinatanong ko sayo?"-_ "Is this the answer to all my questions?"

* * *

a/n: Thanks for reading! Please review if you can!


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